---
title: "Hypospadias"
url: https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/h/hypospadias/
description: "Most boys are born with a penis that looks normal and works well. Some boys are born with a condition called hypospadias. Hypospadias results in a penis..."
---

# Hypospadias

Most boys are born with a penis that looks normal and works well. Some boys are born with a condition called hypospadias. Hypospadias results in a penis that can have problems working normally and doesn't look normal. There are a variety of surgical techniques to fix this problem. The following information should help you speak to your son's urologist about this.

Archived from the 2024 edition

## Overview

Hypospadias is fairly common, being found in about 1 in every 200 boys. It is a condition where the urethral opening (meatus) isn't at the tip of the penis. Instead, the opening may be any place along the underside of the penis. The meatus is most often near the end of the penis (which is called a "distal" position). In some cases, it can be on the middle of the penile shaft, the base of the penis or even within the scrotum (called "proximal" positions). Over 80% of boys with hypospadias have distal hypospadias. In 15% of those distal cases, the penis also curves downward slightly, a condition called "chordee." When the meatus opens further down the shaft, curvature occurs in more than 50% of patients.

In most cases, hypospadias is the only developmental problem in these infants and doesn't imply there are other flaws in the urinary system or other organs.

## In this entry

The archived page carried these sections, in this order.

- What is Hypospadias?
- How Does the Penis Normally Work?
- Causes
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- After Treatment
- Complications
- Check-ups after Surgery
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is hypospadias passed through genes?

## Other entries in Pediatric and Congenital Urology

- [Ambiguous (Uncertain) Genitalia](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/a_/ambiguous-(uncertain)-genitalia/)
- [Cloacal Abnormalities](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/c/cloacal-abnormalities/)
- [Cloacal Exstrophy](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/c/cloacal-exstrophy/)
- [Congenital Vaginal Obstruction](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/c/congenital-vaginal-obstruction/)
- [Cryptorchidism](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/c/cryptorchidism/)
- [Epispadias](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/e/epispadias/)
- [Meatal Stenosis](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/m/meatal-stenosis/)
- [Urinary Tract Infections in Children](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urology-a-z/u/urinary-tract-infections-in-children/)

### Source of this entry

- Original address**/urology-a-z/h/hypospadias/**
- Edition**2024 edition**
- Group**Pediatric and Congenital Urology**

### This is not medical advice

These pages are archived reference copies of material published on this domain. They are not medical advice, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for talking with a health professional.

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- [About OAB](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/its-time-to-talk-about-oab/about-oab/)
- [Overactive Bladder: Patient Guide](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/overactive-bladder/)
- [Urologic Conditions](https://itstimetotalkaboutoab.org/urologic-conditions/)
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